Revenge

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /ɹɪˈvÉ›ndÊ’/

Origin

From Middle French revenge, a derivation from Middle French revenger, from Old French revengier (possibly influenced by Old Provencal revènge ("revenge, comeback"), from Old Provencal revenir ("to come back")), a variant of Middle French revancher, from Old French revenchier. The variants Old French vengier (whence French venger) and Old French venchier are both descended from Latin vindicare, with stress-conditioned different parallel development in the inflectional forms. Compare avenge and vengeance.

Full definition of revenge

Noun

1. Any form of personal retaliatory action against an individual, institution, or group for some perceived harm or injustice.
   Indifference is the sweetest revenge.
   When I left my wife, she tried to set fire to the house in revenge.
2. (competition) A win by the previous loser.
• 1908, W. B. M. Ferguson, Zollenstein Chapter 1, “I'm through with all pawn-games,” I laughed. “Come, let us have a game of lansquenet. Either I will take a farewell fall out of you or you will have your sevenfold revenge”.

Synonyms

• payback, wreak

Derived terms

Verb

1. (reflexive) To take one's revenge (on or upon) someone.
• ShakespeareCome, Antony, and young Octavius, come,
  Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius.
2. (transitive) To take revenge for (a particular harmful action), to avenge.
• Ld. Bernersto revenge the death of our fathers
• DrydenThe gods are just, and will revenge our cause.
3. Arsenal revenged its loss to Manchester United last time with a 5-0 drubbing this time.
4. (intransitive, archaic) To take vengeance; to revenge itself.
• ShakespeareA bird that will revenge upon you all.

Anagrams

• genever